The Relation Between Auditory Cognitive Control and Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability in and Outside the Lab: Differential Effects of Circadian Rhythm?

Auditory cognitive control is crucial for filtering relevant information from irrelevant distractions, a frequent challenge in noisy everyday environments. This study investigates the association between vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) and auditory cognitive control, employing the Bergen Dichotic Listening (BDL) task. We hypothesized that higher HRV would be associated with enhanced performance in the cognitively demanding forced-left (FL) condition of the BDL, which is a validated measure of auditory cognitive control. Our sample consisted of 63 healthy individuals (N = 35 women), who performed the BDL task in a laboratory setting, with resting HRV measurements taken, followed by real-life cognitive assessments with simultaneous ambulatory HRV monitoring conducted three times across different times of the day. The results confirmed a significant positive relationship between HRV and performance in the FL condition but not in the less demanding forced-right condition (FR). Furthermore, ambulatory measurements revealed that this relationship was influenced by circadian rhythms, showing stronger positive correlations during the night and morning. These findings highlight HRV as a promising biomarker for auditory cognitive control and underscore the impact of time of day on cognitive performance. This study broadens our understanding of the autonomic nervous system's role in cognitive functions and affirms the extension of laboratory findings to daily life settings.